We are bicycle commuters in the city of Fort Wayne, Indiana. This is our effort to raise awareness of bicycle commuters, encourage more people to get on their bikes, and identify issues pertaining to those of us who use a bicycle for transportation.

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

BIKE SUMMIT in the Summit City!

Dear bike survey respondent:Thank you for participating in the City of Fort Wayne's 2008 Bicycle Use Survey. We got an outstanding response from Fort Wayne's current and future cyclists with more than 4,000 surveys submitted. As you probably already know, people in Fort Wayne enjoy riding their bikes for recreation, but also want to use pedal power to get to the places where they currently drive, like parks, libraries, downtown and work, if it were safer and more convenient.

Mayor Tom Henry recognizes the value of improving our city's bicycle infrastructure, both with on-road facilities like bike lanes and continuing to expand our popular trail network. It's an investment in Fort Wayne's quality of life and plays a role in economic development. Alternative transportation infrastructure offers opportunities for improved health and fitness, while also reducing traffic congestion and improving air quality.

To continue the process of gathering public input for the City's Bicycle Transportation Plan, Mayor Henry is hosting a bicycle summit 9 a.m. to about noon Saturday, March 21 at the downtown branch of the Allen County Public Library. The event is free, but space is limited and offered on a first-come, first-served basis. If there is enough interest, we will schedule a second public input session at another date.

In addition to the summit, we are also hosting an expo of bike- and health-related vendors in the library's Great Hall from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 21. The expo is free and open to the public, including those who did not attend the summit.